But apart from his strength, Matthew's net worth had also skyrocketed. To call him the "richest man" in the village would not be an exaggeration at all!
While keeping an alert eye on his surroundings, Matthew quickly took stock of the wealth in his breast pocket and pack:
“122 copper coins, 5 silver coins, and a small piece of gold scavenged from the goblin nest; Flynn's 4.5 gold coins (half of which went to Instructor Calm); and the coin pouches from Remy and his lackey.”
With such a rough calculation, the gold coins he currently possessed totaled nearly 6, in addition to some spare silver and copper coins, and some beast hides.
And this didn't even include the precious items that were difficult to measure in ordinary currency:
The crystal cluster fragment that was potentially worth 30 gold coins, the broken staff, the black iron bar, Brody's 【Steel Chainmail】 and 【steel rapier】, the 【Moon Scythe】, the notebook, and so on...
Any single one of these items was incredibly valuable. This was especially true for the chainmail and the crystal cluster fragment—the former was a solid piece of excellent defensive gear, while the latter was a magical material that even noble scions would covet.
If he wanted to cash them in, he would have to find an opportunity to visit Anda Town at the very least.
However, Matthew also wanted to repair the 【Steel Chainmail】 as soon as possible to provide a layer of security for himself. This was a treasure capable of directly resisting sharp blades!
If he got the chance, he would also look out for a Blue-quality sword to plan ahead for the future.
However, immense wealth also meant potential risks.
Moreover, most of Matthew's wealth could not be brought to light!
Although Brody and Flynn had died deep within the Shadow Forest, they had, after all, briefly appeared in the village.
Even though not many people had seen them, it was still a clue that could potentially be traced.
“Fortunately, those mercenaries... are all dead,” Matthew analyzed calmly in his mind. This undoubtedly greatly reduced the number of witnesses and potential whistleblowers.
The fewer survivors there were, the more difficult and slower any direct investigation from the Fiery Lion family would be.
His gaze instinctively drifted back to Sierra, who was currently tending to Hal. The wheat-skinned girl looked exhausted but focused. She was also one of those in the know.
“As for Sierra...” A trace of complex emotion flickered in Matthew's heart.
He didn't consider himself a saint, but he couldn't bring himself to silence someone to protect a secret. Besides, Sierra had helped him in battle.
Silencing her was something he could not do, both logically and emotionally; it went against his personal moral baseline.
“I can only trust Instructor Calm's judgment and... bet that the Fiery Lion family doesn't value Brody's branch that highly, or that they have enough internal strife to delay and downplay the matter.”
Thinking up to this point, Matthew shook his head slightly, sighing in his heart, “Ultimately, it's still because I lack strength.”
As time passed, the group carefully made their way through the Shadow Forest.
The surrounding trees gradually thinned out, and the omnipresent, damp, deathly silence that felt as if it could swallow a person whole quietly receded.
The grayish-white mist permeating the forest grew thin, no longer suffocatingly thick, but instead transforming into wisps of ethereal veils wrapping around the tree trunks.
Faint light could also be seen ahead.
“We're almost out!” Sierra, who was supporting Hal, couldn't help but whisper, her tone carrying an irrepressible joy and relief.
For her, this had been the most dangerous adventure yet.
Encountering the viper lizard at the start, then witnessing terrifying spells later on, and facing the life-or-death crisis of the kobolds.
To make it out of this man-eating forest alive was already a stroke of immense luck.
As for the generous final payment Young Master Brody had promised... a trace of regret and resentment flickered in Sierra's heart.
She glanced again at Matthew, who was scouting ahead alone, a glimmer shining in her eyes.
At the same time.
Matthew, walking at the very front, also let out a quiet sigh of relief, his highly strung nerves relaxing slightly.
Escaping this peril-filled forest meant they had temporarily escaped the most direct threat of death.
Just then, Instructor Calm's steady voice came from behind, where he had been carrying Hal on his back, breaking the brief moment of relaxation:
“Matthew, find a quiet path with fewer people to enter the village.”
Matthew immediately understood Calm's intention and nodded. “Understood, Instructor.”
Soon, the group exited the forest, walking along a secluded path that wound behind an abandoned barn.
This path was indeed sparsely traveled, with only a few startled wild birds flapping their wings and flying away along the way.
The group quietly traversed the sparse woodland near the edge of the village, avoiding the afternoon fields and main roads. Finally, they bypassed the long-abandoned, weed-choked barn of Old Tom, arriving at a relatively isolated area on the outskirts of the village.
This place was not far from Matthew's humble dwelling, and more importantly, it was very close to Instructor Calm's house.
“Let's go to my place first.”
No one objected. Following Calm, they moved quickly along the shadows behind the houses, finally safely entering Instructor Calm's wooden cabin, which had a small courtyard.
The interior of the house was simply furnished but neatly arranged.
Calm settled the incredibly weak Hal onto a bed.
Though Hal was weak, he remained conscious. Now in a safe environment, his mind relaxed considerably, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.
After settling Hal, Calm did not linger. Glancing at the darkening sky outside, he said in a deep voice to Matthew and Sierra:
“I'm heading out to Rayson's home and will pick up some medicinal herbs along the way.”
Matthew nodded. He understood Instructor Calm's intention.
This was to deliver the condolence money, while also making it easier to align their stories and minimize future trouble.
This was the custom of the village. After all, Rayson had sacrificed his life, and his parents at home needed some financial support.
Just as when Matthew's parents had unfortunately passed away, the village had arranged work for him to provide a basic means of survival.
This was a simple form of mutual aid and one of the ways the village maintained its cohesion.
Instructor Calm was highly experienced, making him the most suitable person to handle these matters.
He pushed open the door and stepped out, his figure quickly blending into the deepening twilight as he walked toward Rayson's slightly old wooden house.
The house fell silent, leaving only the sound of Hal's even, faint breathing.
Matthew led Sierra out of the room into the relatively spacious outer area, where they both found a spot to sit down.
“Sierra,” Matthew began, “making it back alive this time is thanks to everyone looking out for one another. Especially you—you held off Remy and his lackey at the critical moment, buying time for Hal.”
Sierra shook her head, her face carrying exhaustion and a lingering fear. “If you hadn't rushed back in time, Hal and I would probably...”
“Let's not dwell on the past,” Matthew interrupted her, pulling out several coin pouches from his breast pocket—the very ones he had scavenged from Remy and his lackey.
He placed the coin pouches on the wooden table between them and slid them toward Sierra.
“These are what you deserve. You were the one who held Remy off, so you should have a share of the loot.
“This contains Remy and his lackey's money, and maybe some spare change from the previous team. I haven't counted the exact amount, but it should be enough to tide you over for a while. Consider it a bit of compensation for this... adventure.”
Sierra stared at the coin pouches on the table, momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected Matthew to take the initiative to share them with her.
For this adventure, her harvest was actually quite substantial already, as she had also gathered a fair amount of the viper lizard's carapace.
Yet Matthew's gesture still left her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.
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